Firefight

He’s a bitter, fascinated
dangerous, pyro-twisted
firestarter

exulting, burning, destroying
racing and dancing and jumping
mad firebug

nightmare task to then put it out
stoking professionals’ self-doubt
the fireman

fighting fires of stupidity
or perhaps mad idiocy
faces firelit

their only thought to douse the flame
and afterwards assign the blame
post firefight…

Over at dVerse Poets Pub,  Laura Bloomsbury in Meeting the Bar: Critique and Craft, invites us to write a poem incorporating compound words, in a
form invented by Margaret R. Smith (source here):-

poem’s title includes the stem word

15 lines

5 stanzas

3 lines per stanza

rhyme scheme a,a,b

meter 8/8/3

last line of each stanza includes a compound word using the same stem
e.g. footsore, footstool, footage; OR underfoot; pussyfoot etc

I should say that Barbara and I have been bingeing “Fire Country”…

24 thoughts on “Firefight”

  • August 21, 2026 at 2:35 pm
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    This made reminded me of Fahrenheit 451 at the beginning. So interesting to read of your unwitting inspiration!

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    • August 21, 2026 at 2:56 pm
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      Fahrenheit 451 – highbrow – Fire Country G lowbrow lol…

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  • August 21, 2026 at 2:57 pm
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    Mental blazes are even worse,
    Sometimes leading to cracking verse.
    Your firestorm.

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    • August 21, 2026 at 2:58 pm
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      👏👏👏

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    • August 21, 2026 at 8:13 pm
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      Somebody had to say it, Kim, lol

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    • August 21, 2026 at 8:10 pm
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      Thanks, Marilyn 🙂‍↕️

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  • August 21, 2026 at 7:26 pm
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    this read like a flamethrower – catching the mood so well and the wordsmithing was cleverly crafted too

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    • August 21, 2026 at 8:12 pm
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      Thanks, Laura, I had to think a while to get the right key word but then it took off…

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  • August 21, 2026 at 9:53 pm
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    You certainly chose the right word, Andrew, the nuanced connection to ‘the bitter and dangerous’ one! Will we survive the fire-storm? I wonder.

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    • August 22, 2026 at 9:38 am
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      Actually, for once, Helen, I wasn’t thinking consciously about the orange one – however, he and his destructiveness are never far from consciousness so if the cap fits – well spotted!

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    • August 23, 2026 at 7:31 pm
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      Thanks, Sreeja 💜

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  • August 23, 2026 at 12:31 am
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    Excellent. May the rains extinguish this kind of fire and cool off this kind of hotheads. Enjoyed reading.
    I wrote about fire too but of a different kind 😉. Thanks for sharing yours. Blessings.

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    • August 23, 2026 at 7:30 pm
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      Thanjs, Selma, just over to check your fire laying out…

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  • August 24, 2026 at 12:42 am
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    Excellent use of ‘fire’!

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    • August 24, 2026 at 6:17 am
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      Thanks, Sara, I enjoyed that prompt…

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  • August 24, 2026 at 12:43 am
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    Don’t know what happened here, but excellent use of ‘fire’.

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  • August 24, 2026 at 7:00 pm
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    Made me think of all the fires that have ravaged Europe this summer… and the madness of those people starting them

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    • August 24, 2026 at 9:55 pm
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      Its unbelievable!

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  • August 25, 2026 at 6:55 pm
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    Andrew, anywhere with dryness and trees lurks fire. You captured the madness of a firebug well.

    Is ‘Fire Country’ the one with Bodhi as the main character?

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    • August 25, 2026 at 10:56 pm
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      It is, Lisa bulging muscles and soulful victimy eyes, oh, and no impulse control lol

      Reply

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